GFOK - Which machine would work for me????
 

GFOK - Great Font Of Knowledge

I have always been a Singer girl. I inherited by Grandmother's 221 Featherweight. And my DH FOUND another 221 at the County Dump. [Yes he really did]. I love them. But I have to admit that I have not touched them since I bought my 301.

I have a Singer 185 that I picked up for $5 at a yard sale, and she will be going to Billy (I hope) soon to be made beautiful again.

So now my question - I want a machine that has the power like the 301 but will sew zig-zag (not necessarily anything fancier) without using the cams that came into being in the 60s & 70s. I would prefer a direct drive (like the 301) that is all (or 90%+) metal.

I have had my FILL of the newer stuff. Yeah, they do pretty things. And I will be purchasing one is the future because I want one to do embroidery. But they are PLASTIC PLASTIC and more PLASTIC.

So - what machine should I be looking for???? What machine will have the options of zigzag that I can vary the width and length of the stitches? Other features like the drop feed dogs and things would be nice but NOT necessary. Just zigzag so that I can do button holes and things.

I know that I can buy the attachments for the 301 to zig zag and buttonholes, but that is not what I want.

Oh Great Font Of Knowledge - please water my parched brain?

To start with, find someone local to clean/repair your machine, if you don't want to do it yourself. What you'd have to pay in shipping the machine to might be more than the machine is worth.

My favorite zigzag machine, and I believe it's Miriam's too, would be the Singer 403...altho I really like my 500 as well! :)

Back when, I had a Singer 327K (think that was the model#) that was great. Wish I still had it. It did straight and zigzag, nothing fancy. Wanted fancy when DD came along...

I agree with Charlie either the 401 or 500 will do what you're asking. All the cams are metal and internal, so you don't need to mess with external ones. And you can get a slant shank buttonholer. I have one for my 401, but I've never used it.

I would think that it would be faster at a local auto shop. Have your thought of negotiating a deal with an local shop for the repaint?

A great e-machine is the 401.

I love my Singer 401A. It has zig-zag, with adjustable width/length. It also has quite a few built-in stitches and you can get additional cams for it. The feed dogs can drop down for FMQ. I make buttonholes without an attachment, using the zig-zag adjustments. The manual explains how to do this.

I have a Pfaff 130 that myDH bought for me in the late sixties and its the best. Nothing fancy, just a workhorse. Zig zags and straight stitches and thats about it. I love my Pfaff.

I am a big Pfaff supporter. I have a 301 which is a workhorse machine (It also weights a ton). My mother has a 230 whch will zig zag and also has cams for fancy stiching. Mother's was bought in 1952 in Germany and has only been in the shop for repairs once.

A 301 is only 5 lbs. heavier than a Featherweight. And it's a straight stitch only machine.

I think your local repair shop would be best. You don"t have to worry about it gett,ing lost or damaged. All so the time it is gone is going to be longer.And the shipping cost.